Getting the runaround from shops?
10-23-23, 11:52 PM
#51
Senior Member
Sucks you're not getting helped with this. Roll this in my shop and I'd at least give a shot seeing if I could align the fork because it sounds fun. For help with stuff like this, honestly, find a shop that's old with an old mechanic, more often than not (though I'm actually relatively new to the industry, working about the last 6 years, I just like vintage bikes). Resolving this kind of frame alignment issue used to be common place when all bikes were steel. Now, the need for this kind of work makes up a very small proportion of what a professional mechanic might be called for--it's a better use of time, economically, to train at things like suspension work or eBike servicing.
New fork is probably the sensible solution.
Dessert Ryder: Almost noone wants an unknown customer looking over their shoulder. It's not the job mechanics are usually hired to do, and it ignores the actual workflow of a shop, which includes things like getting pulled away from the work order to service write or to take breaks, etc. I will absolutely be happy to teach skills to repeat customers who have been pleasant and easy to deal with. Find someone you trust and let them try to solve it. If you brought this to me, I'd inform you that I would research the work to be done, including the availability of any service parts that are likely to be required. A hydraulic brake of that age is likely to need new piston seals and or master cylinder seals, which are likely to be unavailable. I've also refused to work on brakes if there are literally no commercially available pads still on the market. If I thought it was likely to work after service, I'd inform you you were liable for the cost of service regardless of outcome because I would complete the work professionally, and a failure of function is easily from failed components, for which the diagnostic is the bleed itself.
Keeping vintage bikes original as a goal is one that I find really enjoyable, I just inform customers that it can be a rabbit hole and that I do need to charge appropriately for my time.
New fork is probably the sensible solution.
Dessert Ryder: Almost noone wants an unknown customer looking over their shoulder. It's not the job mechanics are usually hired to do, and it ignores the actual workflow of a shop, which includes things like getting pulled away from the work order to service write or to take breaks, etc. I will absolutely be happy to teach skills to repeat customers who have been pleasant and easy to deal with. Find someone you trust and let them try to solve it. If you brought this to me, I'd inform you that I would research the work to be done, including the availability of any service parts that are likely to be required. A hydraulic brake of that age is likely to need new piston seals and or master cylinder seals, which are likely to be unavailable. I've also refused to work on brakes if there are literally no commercially available pads still on the market. If I thought it was likely to work after service, I'd inform you you were liable for the cost of service regardless of outcome because I would complete the work professionally, and a failure of function is easily from failed components, for which the diagnostic is the bleed itself.
Keeping vintage bikes original as a goal is one that I find really enjoyable, I just inform customers that it can be a rabbit hole and that I do need to charge appropriately for my time.
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10-24-23, 12:02 PM
#52
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...I have all the tools to check and align steel forks. I have done quite a few of them.
At this point in life, I don't try to straighten forks like the one on this crashed bike.
The bent steerer ones never seem to come out well, and I've stopped attempting that specific operation.
There are other bends, like in the fork legs, that do respond well to a certain limited amount of cold repositioning. That say this bicycle is a relatively common one to begin with is not snobbery, it's just factual information. Unless there's some sort of emotional attachment thing going on here, the pursuit of this repair seems to make little sense. It's sad you got hit by a car, but the bright side of it is that you are OK. Take the win.
...I have all the tools to check and align steel forks. I have done quite a few of them.
At this point in life, I don't try to straighten forks like the one on this crashed bike.
The bent steerer ones never seem to come out well, and I've stopped attempting that specific operation.
There are other bends, like in the fork legs, that do respond well to a certain limited amount of cold repositioning. That say this bicycle is a relatively common one to begin with is not snobbery, it's just factual information. Unless there's some sort of emotional attachment thing going on here, the pursuit of this repair seems to make little sense. It's sad you got hit by a car, but the bright side of it is that you are OK. Take the win.
10-28-23, 12:16 PM
#53
No Motor Vehicles
Thread Starter
fixed!
Ended up buying a vintage Tange NOS fork in green with Takara badging. Date code is one month earlier than the stock fork. Fits perfectly!
It was a **** ton of effort to identify compatible parts, chase them down and get everything to fit up. So I suppose that answers the original question here.
It was a **** ton of effort to identify compatible parts, chase them down and get everything to fit up. So I suppose that answers the original question here.
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10-29-23, 03:21 AM
#56
No Motor Vehicles
Thread Starter
There's a washer behind it to shim it and move it away from the headset. There's positive clearance, it's not contacting the headset.
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10-29-23, 08:20 AM
#58
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Maybe it's just me, the fork crown doesn't look right, or level to the lower cup. The frame at that spot looks alright. Can you give us a full side shot?
How's the ride?
How's the ride?
Last edited by Mr. 66; 10-29-23 at 08:26 AM.
10-29-23, 09:41 AM
#59
Junior Member
If you brought it down there might not be any interference between the fender bracket and the bike frame.
10-29-23, 10:29 AM
#60
No Motor Vehicles
Thread Starter
a couple more photos
It rides fine, I did 50 mi. yesterday for a test ride 😃
Maybe a little stiffer than before the crash? Not sure if that's the new fork, new wheel, or if I'd simply acclimated to riding another bike with a smoother ride and wider lower pressure tires for two months.
Handling seems to be perfectly neutral. It tracks straight, doesn't tend to pull one way or the other. It handles the way I remember it before, light and quick.
The new fork weighs about 70g more than the original. Original was chromoly; I don't know what material this one is.
I had to file the dropouts, they started at 8.5mm wide and it took a few minutes with the file before they accepted a 9mm axle. Did someone leave this thing in the chrome plating tank too long? I wonder if that manufacturing oddity is why it didn't get installed on a bike in '85.
10-29-23, 11:28 AM
#61
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Another possibility: shop mechanics may have thought you needed a larger frame, so repair would be uneconomical (though I’d be willing to do it if the customer heard my advice and wanted to proceed anyway).
11-02-23, 05:19 PM
#62
Senior Member
I know the brakes need to be bled. I tried and got the front to build pressure after multiple squeezes. The rear I had issues with. I removed the caliper and injected air into the caliper to make sure the caliper wasn't seized in the bore. Full extension of the caliper piston.
I've worked on cars and motorcycles. I was a mechanic and this brake bleed has driven me crazy. Hence, take it to a shop to have it "professionally" done. Again, I have no issues paying the money.
In todays work enviroment and seeing how some people work. This is what concerns me. I mean, there is no real incentive to really work at bleeding the brakes to earn the money. That is my issue.
I've worked on cars and motorcycles. I was a mechanic and this brake bleed has driven me crazy. Hence, take it to a shop to have it "professionally" done. Again, I have no issues paying the money.
In todays work enviroment and seeing how some people work. This is what concerns me. I mean, there is no real incentive to really work at bleeding the brakes to earn the money. That is my issue.
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11-02-23, 07:43 PM
#63
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